The Ottoman Government and the Disputes around the Throne of the Catholicoses of Holy Etchmiadzin in the Early Modern Period

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This paper researches the problem of the disputes around the throne of the Catholicoses of all Armenians during the seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries, with a particular focus on the role and impact of the Ottoman powers. A historical comparative analysis of the various sources of the period, including the Ottoman documents of the Matenadaran, has allowed us to enhance the research of this destructive struggle with new details, and reveal the significant influence of external political forces on the course of events. Based on the observations made, it can be stated that the Ottoman government had an indirect but active participation in the disputes around the throne of the catholicosate of Holy Etchmiadzin. The goal of this policy was to maintain the influence of the Ottoman Empire over the Armenian Church and to ensure the appointment of a leader aligned with its interests.